How do the various Stephen King Movie Franchises rank alongside each other? Since his first novel Carrie was turned into an unforgettable supernatural thriller by Brian De Palma, rarely a year has gone by that didn't have a Stephen King movie or TV series. A rush to adapt King's work in the '80s led to a real mixed bag in terms of quality; for every Christine or Stand By Me, there was a Maximum Overdrive or Silver Bullet.
In the decades since, the ratio has only slightly improved. King's movies are still a must for horror fans, however, and his work appears to be as popular as it ever was. One thing King isn't a particular fan of is sequels to movies based on his work where he didn't have a hand in the story. That might explain why there are relatively few examples, as only a select few have spawned follow-ups. Here's every Stephen King Movie Franchise, ranked.
10 10. Sometimes They Come Back
Sometimes They Came Back is based on King's 1974 short story, and was originally intended to be a segment of 1985 anthology Cat's Eye. The original drastically changed King's Sometimes They Come Back story, but is still a decent (if forgettable) TV movie where a teacher returns to his hometown and is tormented by demonic greasers who return from the dead. It was followed by two STV sequels - 1996's Sometimes They Come Back... Again and 1998's Sometimes They Come Back... For More - which were two cheapie supernatural chillers with no real ties to the short story and were merely designed to cash in on King's name.
9 9. The Mangler
The Mangler comes from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's Tobe Hooper and was based on a short King horror tale involving a demonic laundry-folding machine. To some, the original film is an intentionally over-the-top, campy delight that revels in gore and Robert Englund's bananas performance; to others, it's a tacky bloodfest with an intensely silly premise. The truth arguably lies in between, but it's certainly much better than the STV follow-ups The Mangler 2 and The Mangler Reborn, both of which could easily feature on a list of the worst horror movies of the 2000s.
8 8. The Lawnmower Man
The Lawnmower Man is technically another adaptation of a King short, but the author famously sued production company New Line to get his name removed from the film. This was due to the fact 1992's The Lawnmower Man has almost nothing in common with King's tale and is instead about a "simple" gardener (Jeff Fahey) who becomes a cyber god. The original has aged poorly in some regards - especially its early CGI effects - but there's a certain retro charm to it, while Fahey and Pierce Brosnan keep it grounded. The sequel Beyond Cyberspace featured no returning cast and is a dull and cheap cyberpunk eyesore.
7 7. Children Of The Corn
The Children Of The Corn movies are the ultimate example of producers optioning a Stephen King story and milking it to Hell. The original 1984 Children Of The Corn is a serviceable b-movie that is let down by slack pacing - and one that certainly didn't need to be expanded upon by eight direct sequels that range from watchable (Children Of The Corn III: Urban Harvest) to torturous (the seventh entry Revelation). The original was also remade as a bad TV movie in 2009, while there's another upcoming Children Of The Corn remake coming to Shudder in 2023.
6 6. Creepshow
Creepshow is where the Stephen King franchise ranking starts to get good. The original film was King and director George Romero's ode to the gruesome horror comics of their youth. It's a creepy, darkly humorous and energetic mix of tales, with "Something To Tide You Over" being the highlight. The sequel arrived five years later, and while both Creepshow 2's story count and budget were lower, the second tale "The Raft" is still an excellent, gory little short on its own. Neither King nor Romero had any involvement with the belated Creepshow 3 from 2006 - which is best avoided by viewers from all walks of life.
5 5. Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary is one of the darkest and most despairing of King's novels, so the adaptation is naturally a downbeat affair. The 1989 movie suffers in some areas - lead Dale Midkiff is especially miscast - it features some of the most unsettling imagery and sequences of any King film, and ends on a fittingly bleak note. The second entry Pet Sematary 2 retreads the same basic story to much lesser effect, though Clancy Brown is a hammy delight as the main villain. 2019's Pet Sematary remake shifted some elements around but ultimately came across as a hollow, mean-spirited supernatural family drama that didn't earn its dark finale.
4 4. Salem's Lot
Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot is a TV miniseries that was later edited into a theatrical movie for intentional audiences. The 1979 series is languid in parts to modern eyes, but it still has the eerie atmosphere that terrified young viewers back when it first aired. The vampire boys scratching at the window has lost none of its power, with Barlow still being one of horror's most iconic vampires. A Return To Salem's Lot is another belated follow-up, coming from b-movie legend Larry Cohen. Sadly, despite an intriguing set-up, it's a tedious dark comedy that's neither funny nor scary.
3 3. IT
Pennywise the Dancing Clown is one of King's most enduring horror creations, so it's little wonder 2017's IT: Chapter One was such a success. Bill Skarsgård's drooling Pennywise doesn't quite menace in the same way as Tim Curry's did in the 1990 miniseries, but he's effectively unsettling nonetheless. The IT duology's reliance on noisy jumpscares and CG is a disappointment, but the great cast - especially the young ensemble featured in Chapter One - is its real heart. Chapter Two was a lackluster finale that recycled the repetitive scare structure of the first film, but even at its weakest moments, Skarsgård's Pennywise made for a memorable antagonist.
2 2. Carrie
The success of 1976's Carrie helped cement King as the new "King of Horror." De Palma's stylish adaptation follows Sissy Spacek repressed, bullied teenager, who has burgeoning telekinetic powers. Carrie manages to be both an over-the-top, campy horror film with a bloodthirsty finale, and also a tender, emotional drama about a girl who never really had a chance in life. It was followed by 1999 sequel The Rage: Carrie II. On one hand, the sequel's story was eerily prescient about the MeToo movement, but it's ultimately a glossy teen horror flick that lacks the craft and raw power of De Palma's original.
1 1. The Shining
The Shining is arguably the best King adaptation - which is somewhat controversial since King famously hates Kubrick's "cold" take on his novel. Regardless, The Shining is packed with some of the genre's most famous moments - the Grady twins greeting Danny, the elevator of blood, "Here's Johnny!", etc - and viewers have puzzled over its many mysteries for decades. The Shining has a slow, almost hypnotic rhythm that leads to a nail-biting climax, and while Jack Nicholson puts a little too much ham on the sandwich, there's a reason his performance has lingered in pop culture for so long.
The Shining often ranks as the best Stephen King Movie Adaptation, but Mike Flanagan's Doctor Sleep is one of the most underrated. This 2019 follow-up had the near impossible job of bridging the gap between King's book and Kubrick's movie - and SOMEHOW managed to pull it off. The film is partly a redemptive drama following Ewan McGregor's grown-up Danny and supernatural vampire horror. Rebecca Ferguson's Rose the Hat makes for an incredible villain, and while the Overlook set finale goes overboard on the easter eggs, it's still a superb setpiece that brings the sequel's themes full circle.